The present invention relates to an electric generator which directly converts sunlight into mechanical energy with this mechanical energy in turn being directly converted into electrical energy. In recent years, much attention has been given to the development of energy sources as alternatives to traditional depletable resources such as oil, coal or other petroleum products. Of particular interest to this attention has been to renewable energy resources, and in particular, much attention has been directed to the field of solar energy. The advantages of solar energy over existing energy conversion systems from a standpoint of reduced pollution and even ultimately from a cost standpoint are manifest.
To this end, many different systems have been designed to enable a conversion of sunlight into a more usable form of energy, and such attempts have been traditionally either a direct conversion of solar energy into electricity or a conversion of solar energy into heat such as for heating a house or for heating water. There have been, however, some attempts to directly convert solar energy into mechanical energy so that this mechanical energy may directly do work or may in turn be converted into another form of energy such as electricity.
For example, there have been attempts at converting solar energy to mechanical energy utilizing the expansion and contraction properties of metals or other materials such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,956 issued to Matovich and U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,847 issued to Ray. There have been other attempts at converting solar energy into rotational mechanical energy utilizing either convection currents of gases such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,125 issued to Kyryluk or systems wherein expanding gases are used to convert sunlight into rotary motion as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,985 to Lapeyre.
The present invention is a novel approach in converting sunlight directly into mechanical motion and thereafter into electrical energy. Specifically, the present invention utilizes the light reactive principle found in the common radiometer. That instrument, in common practice, consists of a paddle wheel having vanes coated on one side with a light absorbing material and on the opposite side with a light reflective material. This paddle wheel is suspended in a vacuum bubble and, when set in sunlight, the paddle wheel turns in response to incident sunlight. Heretofore, radiometers have been used either as novelty items or as an aparatus for measuring light such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,000,831 to Martin. One system incorporating a laser to drive a standard radiometer in an attempt to generate electricity is shown in Great Britain Pat. No. 1,395,137 issued to Pedric.
Despite the various solar generator systems that have been developed, there is still a need for useful technologies which convert solar energy into electrical energy and which are economical to operate and maintain.